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Replace binaries and Files with dpkg-divert

Posted By Admin On 14th December 2006 @ 09:00 In Package Mgmt | No Comments

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File `diversions’ are a way of forcing dpkg not to install a file into its location, but to a `diverted’ location. Diversions can be used through the Debian package scripts to move a file away when it causes a conflict. System administrators can also use it to override some package’s configuration file, or whenever some files (which aren’t marked as ‘conffiles’) need to be preserved by dpkg, when installing a newer version of a package which contains those files.

dpkg-divert is the utility used to set up and update the list of diversions. It functions in three basic modes - adding, removing, and listing diversions. The options are –add, –remove, and –list, respectively. Additionally, it can print out the real name for a diverted file. Other options (listed below) may also be specified.

The dpkg-divert command allows you to replace a binary installed upon the system, and have this replacement persist even if you upgrade packages.This is very useful if you want to use an updated version of some application instead of old version existing on your machine.

dpkg-divert Syntax

dpkg-divert [options] [--add] <file>

dpkg-divert [options] --remove <file>

dpkg-divert [options] --list <glob-pattern> dpkg-divert [options] --truename <file>

dpkg-divert Examples

To divert all copies of a /usr/bin/example to /usr/bin/example.foo, i.e. directs all packages providing /usr/bin/example to install it as /usr/bin/example.foo, performing the rename if required

dpkg-divert --divert /usr/bin/example.foo --rename /usr/bin/example

To remove that diversion

dpkg-divert --rename --remove /usr/bin/example

To divert any package trying to install /usr/bin/example to /usr/bin/example.foo, except your own wibble package

dpkg-divert --package wibble --divert /usr/bin/example.foo --rename /usr/bin/example

To remove that diversion

dpkg-divert --package wibble --rename --remove /usr/bin/example

If you want to know more available options for dpkg-divert check man page

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